One thing that has helped me enormously in my recovery from depression is the practice of looking for simple things to appreciate.

When the people around you are screaming, fighting, and blaming, it can be really helpful to look for something in the environment, perhaps something in nature, to focus on and appreciate. While in that appreciative state, you can’t be depressed. Those two emotions are incompatible.

For example, I might look outside at a tree, even if I have to stand on tippy-toes and peek out of a small window. I might look at a nearby dog and appreciate how cute it is. I might stop in the middle of hauling trash and notice something pretty in the environment such as butterflies or flowers. Even when driving, I can amuse myself by looking for things which all have the same color — for example, the color yellow. I actually made myself laugh one time when I ran out of yellow flowers to appreciate, but noticed that the warning signs and yellow lines on the road were the same color as the flowers!

Of course, for me to get to the point where I would actually LOOK for something pleasant, I had to have been given the information that my feeling good would actually make me more of an asset to the world. It was new information; it was a revelation; it seemed backwards from my early imprinting, but it made sense! And it changed my life.

So, if you’re trying to feel good today, remember to look for the simple things with the power to transport you away from your pain. You don’t have to be ecstatically happy, but even elevating to the point of contentment is a huge relief from depression.

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